Cave of the Winds Photo

Photographer’s Note

Cave of the Winds, on the American side of Niagara Falls, is an odd name for a waterfalls. It is called by this name because tourists were allowed to go behind this massive series of waterfalls to feel the power of the air currents (the winds) created by these falls. Quite some time ago the engineers imploded this cave (behind the falls) to discontinue this dangerous type of tourism. Today tourists are allowed to go right up the falls on s series of walkways. These walkways need to be rebuilt every Spring because the massive ice formations created by the cold winters in this area destroy the wooden ramps.

I took this shot from the Maid of the Mist boat several minutes before I took the photo of the Canadian Falls (see my prevous posting). I was one of these water-drenched tourists about two hours before, when I was at the base of this falls. My workshop photo will display the futility of trying to keep your photo equipment dry when you are getting soaked by the water spray. The photographer in the WS photo had no better success than I did in trying to keep herself and her small digital camera dry.

plimrn, teutza, singuanti, zeca, japiey, delic, JorgeCK, jwmunro, feather, isabela_sor, jean11-3, jaywalker, Photo65Net, sabyasachi1212, berek, Didi, enedimd, PARDAL has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

JorgeCK (2600) 2007-07-12 19:16

Hi Stan,
Love this shot. Very good composition and beautiful colors.
joRge

singuanti (15240) 2007-07-12 19:34

Hi Stan. Very nice work here at a place I've always wanted to see. The low POV really shows off the power and size of the falls. Thanks for uploading the workshop as I like it quite a bit too. The polarizer had a good effect on your saturation as well. My only suggestion would be to sharpen it up a little and it would be perfect. Nice work Stan!

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melmcree (2261) 2007-07-12 19:54

I couldn't figure out what all that yellow was at first but upon closer glance I had a little chuckle. Very entertaining photograph. I really liked the workshop and the difficulty of it makes it even better.

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grantlp (2104) 2007-07-12 20:32

Hi Stan,
The boat ride gave you a great POV. The colours and composition are excellent.Nice result, well done.
Cheers Grant

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Greg1949 (8519) 2007-07-12 20:41

Stan,

For having been shot your your "little" camera they are really good. The color is great and the detail is very good. the mist and the patterns in the falling water really give a good sence of the power there. Ggreat capture.

Greg

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zeca (20026) 2007-07-12 21:20

Well, well, well... this is Niagara at its best! Excellent POV and beautiful colours. Look that yellow line of tourists! Great! You did a nice work on the sky! Well done, my friend Stan!
All the best!
Zeca

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Bruno40 (6442) 2007-07-12 21:22

Stan,
Given the conditions and the quality of your gear, this is a fantastic photo. It is very well composed, and the colours are excellent.
Good effort!
TFS
Jorge
PS: did you remove your previous photo?

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rminkow (1566) 2007-07-12 22:39

Stan...very nice picture. The color of the yellow jackets works nicely. Your perspective, color and clarity are perfect....congratulations.

Roger

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DarkoG (2284) 2007-07-12 23:04

Well composed photo. People dressed in yellow rain coats, added a touch of interest in this magnificent scene.
Photo could be sharper.

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arjun_das (1850) 2007-07-12 23:57

what a ferocious water falls it is!!! i like the misty environment created there due to hard hitting waters. colours are very natural as well. tfs.

regards,
arjun

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delic (6735) 2007-07-13 0:58

Hi Stan,
Superb composition again, and in tough conditions. Seems like you need a waterproof camera there. I like the colors, esp. the contrast by the yellow jackets, took me a while to figure out they were people. The mist and sprayed lens give a soft, pseudo-impressionist quality to the photo. In fact, this might be a new avenue for creative, artsy photography. Cheers!
Hakan

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japiey (9521) 2007-07-13 3:35

Hi Stan.

Another lovely composed shot from the series. Ohhh ...it's so thrilling to walk upto the falls...You might have enjoyed the day...

The colours in frame have a perfect balance, a rich and strong output..
Congrats, dear friend..

j e a n p a u l

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jwmunro (6255) 2007-07-13 5:23

Hello Stan -

Very nice write up to accompany the image. Again, another very strong composition showing the size and power of this natural wonder. Just looking at the image I can almost hear the noise of the falls - having a reaction such as this to an image demonstrates the power and quality of the image. Bravo, well done!

Thank you for sharing.

John

Bluejeans (33049) 2007-07-13 5:43

Ola Stan muito bonitas estas quedas de agua , gostei de ver as pessoas todas de amarelo , bom contraste de cores , bom enquadramento da foto , parabens!!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

feather (50144) 2007-07-13 5:49

I am really enjoying your Niagra series as your excellent compositions from there are recalling my experiences like no other images I remember seeing. Possibly few people risk their cameras as you have done to take images from the Maid of the Mist where your low POV emphasises the drama and sheer size of the falls wonderfully. Here the tiny people in yellow macs emphasise the scale even more.
I really love your WS post. I think I mentioned on your previous one how much I like to see from behind people what they can see and this one with the lady using her camera is really including the viewers in the experience with her. Maybe the rain soaked lens made you decide to relegate this to the WS but I think it is the best so far. Well done
Kath

jean11-3 (2799) 2007-07-13 9:07

Good composition Stan,once again you have managed to show us the scale of the Falls.
Having looked at your w/s shot I think that you could have posted it as a main post, it is very good.
Your notes are always interesting and full of useful information, thanks.
TFS, regards Jean.

jaywalker (12302) 2007-07-13 9:34

Hi Stan, I have a shot similar to this photo, although mine only covers the part where the small falls are, I took it in 1994 & I am pretty sure we were aloud closer to the falls than this, & even behind it? but behind the falls bit I can not be 100% sure, however it is still a very well taken photo & the people give a great prospective to how large & powerful these falls are, great colours, kind regards Wilson.

Photo65Net (43096) 2007-07-13 10:12

Stan,
Again impressive shot of these falls, with great scaling with the people at the botoom of this huge amount of water.
Regards,
JB.

sabyasachi1212 (19546) 2007-07-13 21:16

Hi Stan,
Well chosen POV of perhaps the most popular waterfalls in the world. The greenish tinge in the water and the clear blue sky provides the perfect setting here.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

berek (29019) 2007-07-14 0:26

Hi Satan,
wovv magnificent view. good point of view and colors. have nice weekend.
Burak

mesutilgim (37282) 2007-07-14 6:02

Hello dear Stan,
Sailing in the mediterranean sea with my wife, children and 3 great children, I didn't hav the chance to get internet connect too often.
Now I'am at shore for next two days, and am now sitting in a internet cafe, surrounded by two dozens of teenies !
This serie is great; nice pov and great colors.
TFS
and have a nice weekend
MESUT ILGIM

isabela_sor (42471) 2007-07-14 9:33

Amazing!!!!!Simply I dont have words t say how much I like all these photos!!!How do you find all the time the right POV !???
Hugs
Isabela

Didi (36442) 2007-07-14 10:54

Hello Stan
Very interesting view of the falls in spite the difficult to set the AF mode with the waters.
I think that the sound is missing here :))
Great wonder of the world nature.
Cheers.

enedimd (1528) 2007-07-15 11:42

Hi Stan,
Impressive and amazing panorama. Well done shot with good POV. Yellow raincoats and red lines are powerful. Very good composition with your superb note.
TFS,
Friendly regards,
Emir Nedim

jmcl (14149) 2007-07-15 13:15

hi Stan,

Tough shot .. the water .. the range of the dark cliffs to the bright light hitting the falls .. from a boat .. I really love the scale of this wondrous place you have captured here .. and how you have maintained the blue sky through it all .. very nice.

take care,

John

sowhat (981) 2007-07-16 5:25

Great, majestic view. You manages to get excellent colors and to show the mighty force of the waterfall, this is all that maters ;-)
TFS,
Ioana

PARDAL (680) 2007-07-17 8:52

Hi Stan !!
Another excellent pict from this amazing place!!!
Nice shot and POV. One day I´ll be one of those yellow tourists ;)
TFS
Natàlia i Joan

teutza (10568) 2007-07-18 2:59

Hello Stan,
the hole series of Niagara Falls is great!!u did a great job there!!! it surely is a beautiful place that needs to be visited :)
teo

anesugur (17012) 2007-07-18 11:20

Hi Stan,
What a great composition...
Excellent colors, details with superb POV.
Nice work.
Best wishes. Uğur

plimrn (19710) 2008-02-10 7:43

Hi Stan,
This shot is very balanced, The line of tourists on the walkway look like flowers in their yellow plastic. I thinke I actually prefer the WS here, the close-up woman adds a lot of life and feeling to the shot, the closer view of the water feels more powerful andf I love the mist against the blue sky.
HLJ, Pat